Mr. Sandman
Mr. Sandman has made several video game appearances; his first was in 1984 as the WVBA World Champion in the original Punch-Out!!. He then appeared in 1987's Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! as the #1 contender for the WVBA World Title. For the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!! from 1994, Mr. Sandman dropped down to the WVBA Major Circuit and became champion. His fighting style is very similar to that of Bald Bull. His signature technique, "Dreamland Express" ("Midnight Sleeper" in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!), consists of three consecutively thrown uppercuts. He also does it before the bell rings in the first round but that one is four uppercuts. In his first two appearances, Mr. Sandman's fighting style is arguably the most novel in the game. He possesses a vast array of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts, and his unpredictability can easily confuse players. Sandman also features outstanding defense. Mr. Sandman was toned down in the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!! to ensure he was not too difficult to defeat. Mr. Sandman makes his latest appearance in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, where he is the undisputed champion of the WVBA, and is restored back to his quick and powerful self (first seen in the Arcade and NES Punch-Out!!). He is possibly inspired by the Philadelphia-raised Joe Frazier. Mr. Sandman has also appeared in a Topps trading card series. He is voiced by Riley Inge in the Wii title. He, like Piston Hondo and Don Flamenco, can dodge your attacks. Appearances ''Punch-Out!!'' (1984) Mr. Sandman's first appearance was as the WVBA World Champion in the original Punch-Out!!. He fights almost identically as the other boxers, except he's a lot stronger, more accurate and nimble. There's no way to fake him out and get a punch in. Also, when he's knocked down, he can get back up much stronger. The player will have to wait for an opening and then punch him. He can also use unstoppable combinations that the player will have to dodge before they can start hitting him again. After defeating him, the player becomes the new champion. ''Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream'' (1987–1990) Mr. Sandman returned in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!!. Although he was dropped down to #1 in the world circuit with Super Macho Man being the champion, he sports the ability to guard himself whilst stunned and possesses unpredictable punching behavior so it won't be an easy battle. The biggest difference with him is that he can now use "Dreamland Express", a strong special attack which involves him doing three uppercuts in a row that are much quicker and stronger than his usual uppercuts. This is cued by a series of events: He will stop attacking, will block Mac's jabs, and will briefly flash prior to the attack. The players' main concerns are negotiating Mr. Sandman's 13 rolling jabs during the first round and, obviously, the Dreamland Express. He is one of the few characters in the game that can avoid one of Mac's star punches and the only one who can do it while stunned. It is also impossible to throw jabs at him when he's stunned as he will automatically guard his face. As such, the player will need to use body blows when he's stunned. A good strategy for the fight is that, after Mr. Sandman finishes his 13 jabs, Mac must attempt to jab Sandman himself. Sandman will dodge, and immediately counter with a hook, which Mac can counter to stun Sandman and leave him available for body blows for a few seconds. When Sandman regains awareness, Mac must repeat the pattern. If Sandman starts blocking jabs, he will soon excecute the Dreamland Express. He also shares the laugh used by Bald Bull and uses the same body template. ''Super Punch-Out!!'' (1994) In the SNES version of Super Punch-Out!!, Mr. Sandman was toned down to ensure he was not as challenging as he was in the NES (due to him being only the Major Circuit champion), although he still has the ability to guard himself while he's stunned. He is also often regarded as being a lot harder than the previous opponents. When the player knocks Mr. Sandman down twice, the message "Give him full power now, champ!" is yelled by his cornerman, and he will become much more difficult, with the use of some new moves. His special attack, "Dreamland Express", referred to as "Midnight Sleeper" in this game, still works the same way except that it is a little slower this time around. He is a palette swap of Bald Bull. The only time he grins is when he wins a fight. ''Punch-Out!!'' (2009) Mr. Sandman appears in the Wii title as the WVBA World Champion for the first time since the original arcade game. In his pre-match montage, it is shown that Mr. Sandman has beaten every other opponent in the game by KO (besides Donkey Kong), including Super Macho Man, who was presumably the world champion before Mr. Sandman took his title. He now sports his own body scheme, has two new overhead punch moves (in addition to his classic "Dreamland Express" triple-uppercut combo), and has the ability to fake out Mac before he a punches, usually during his "Dreamland Express" uppercut combo. Mr. Sandman is restored back to his powerful and nimble self, so he can be as hard to fight as he was in the Arcade and the NES installments, if not harder. "Z"s comes out of his face when you punch him. If you lose to him, he will face the crowd, and maniacally laugh. Stars: *Counter his overhead with a jab. *Counter his delayed overhead with a jab. *Counter his haymaker with a hook. *Counter his delayed haymaker with a jab. *Land a delayed hit after his haymaker. *Land a delayed hit after his delayed haymaker. *Hook him after the Dreamland Express. *After 2 KD's on Sandman, land 10 hooks after the Dreamland Express. Might not work. *Jab him on his "Boo!" taunt. Instant Knockdown Tricks: *Use a Star Punch when he "BOO!"s you his first "Dreamland Express" uppercut. *Use a Star Punch when he tries to do the first "Dreamland Express" uppercut. Infinite Combo Trick: Dodge all three uppercuts in his Dreamland Express, then counter. This time, he'll be stunned infinitely until you either knock him down or jab him out of the stun if you dodge early enough. This will not work in Title Defense. Title Defense Mode Mr. Sandman returns to challenge Mac in Title Defense to get back his belt from Mac. He uses his old attacks and sports a "Wink Uppercut" (copied from Mike Tyson), during which he winks with either his left or his right eye to signal if the uppercut is going to be left or right. These uppercuts are likely to hurt Mac if he dodges in the wrong direction. Mr. Sandman now sports a mode called the Berserker Rage which occurs when when he is knocked down twice, in which he will throw 4 uppercuts. However, dodging (or surviving) the series of uppercuts will cause him to get tired, giving Little Mac a chance to end the fight. He has a new haircut and his clothes have a different color from before. In the montage before the fight, Mr. Sandman saw a picture of Little Mac and started getting worked up, bent on revenge. This caused him to knock an entire building down leaving a huge pile of just ruins. His Title Defense self appears to share some designs with "Iron" Mike Tyson, including some of Mike's punches from the original NES game. The player needs to be very careful not to get hit too many times as some of Mr. Sandman's punches can take out half of Mac's health bar. If you throw a delayed jab, sometimes he'll throw a hook. What hand Mr. Sandman uses depends on what hand Mac used to jab him. If he says, "HA!", he'll do a fast right hook, and if he says, "My turn!", he'll do a slow left hook. If you lose to the TD version of him, the Ref will try to raise Mr. Sandman's hand, he tries to lift it, but Sandman raises his hand himself. Instant Knockdowns: *Use a Star Punch on his Dreamland Express,when he "BOO!"s the first "Dreamland Express" uppercut. *Use a Star Punch when he tries to do the first "Dreamland Express" uppercut. Instant Knockout: *Use a Star Punch when he's tired after his Berserk Mode. Glitch: '''Gain three stars, and, after knocking down Mr. Sandman twice, use a Three-Star Punch before he starts his Berserk Mode. Exhibition challenges '''Challenger: # Win the fight and evade every Dreamland Express (3-Uppercut Combo). # Find 7 different ways to earn Stars. # Win the fight without dodging, ducking, or blocking a punch! Title Defense: # TKO Mr. Sandman in Round 1! # Come back from almost being TKO'd or KO'd and defeat Mr. Sandman! # Knock Mr. Sandman down in under 33 seconds!! Quotes Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream (NES) * "Bedtime for Little Mac!" * "Hey! Mac Baby... Say Goodnight!" * "I think you're gonna have a nightmare tonight!" * "Welcome to dreamland baby!" Super Punch-Out!! (SNES) * "Had your goodnight kiss? 'Cause I'm about to put you down for the night." (first match) * "I hate holding back. This time I won't hesitate to use all my power on you." (rematch) * "Ready for your nap now? I demand a rematch!" (endgame) * "Goodnight!" (Victory) Punch-Out!! (Wii) * "Afraid?" (Before Dreamland Express combo in contender) * "Stand still!" (Before right delayed overhand) * "Night, night!" (Before left delayed jab) * "You want some more?!" (when Mac gets up from the canvas) * "Tell your face, to leave my fists alone!" (during intermission) * "This title is mine, Mac, you ain't never gonna take it!" (during intermission) * "I hate nightmares, not a rematch." (endgame) * "Dreamland... Aaagghhhh..." (During KO, in slow motion) * "Hey, Mac Baby. Brush your teeth, it's bedtime!" (during Title Defense intermission) * "It's way past your bedtime, Mac baby!" (Title Defense Intermission) * "I'm gonna eat you... for bedtime snack! Mmmm..." (Title Defense Intermission) * "BOO!" (When attempting to fake the player out before his Dreamland Express, or as a taunt) * "Dreamland!" (Before Dreamland Express combo in Title Defense) * "NOOOOOO!!!" (When the player uses a Star Punch in Contender) * "What the?! You gotta be KIDDING me!!" (Before the player fights Mr. Sandman in Title Defense mode) * "My turn!" (Title Defense: if Mr. Sandman is about to counter with a hook, the hand Mr. Sandman uses depends on the hand Mac used to test Mr. Sandman during his Dreamland Express charge-up. Sandman will say the above phrase if he's going to do a delayed left hook.) * "Bedtime!!!" (After Mr. Sandman floors Mac, Mr. Sandman will snore and laugh during the beginning of the Referee's countdown) Doc Louis Tips: *''"All bad things come to an end, Mac baby! Wake Mr. Sandman up! The fans wants a new champ!"'' *''"Let's go, kid. Let's go. You're almost there. Let's turn this champ into a chump."'' *''"Can you taste it, Mac baby? Can you taste it? I can taste it! The World Circuit's yours, baby. It's yours!"'' *''"Let's go, son. Don't count the seconds, baby. Make the seconds count for you."'' *''"Get ready, Mac. It's time to claim the belt, baby. Sandman's reign of terror is finally over!"'' *''"Let's go, kid. Be strong, be strong! You didn't get this far on luck alone. You got courage, son. You got heart, baby. Hang in there."'' *''"They say that you'll never be the champ, Mac baby. Let's prove 'em wrong. We can prove 'em wrong. You are the champ!"'' *''"Everything you've done up to this point, Mac, comes down to this. Send Mr. Sandman back to Dreamland, baby!"'' *''"Shoe's on the other foot, Mac baby. It's time to tuck this sucker in. Sandman ain't ever getting his title back."'' *''"Here we go, champ baby. Here we go! Let's give Sandman some nightmares of his own. He'll never forget you!"'' *''"Be careful out there, champ! This fight could end in a blink of an eye!"'' *''"You never back down, you never give up. That's the way of a champ, Mac baby. That's the way of a champ."'' *''"Woowee! He's quick, Mac! Look out there, watch carefully, and try to find any kind of hint before his attacks!"'' ''Trivia'' * In the Wii version, Mr. Sandman seems to be associated with number 13, a number associated with bad luck and misfortune. Examples include: ** His full nickname (Mister Sandman) has 13 letters. ** He is the thirteenth opponent in both Contender and Title Defense modes. Reciprocally, Little Mac is the thirteenth opponent fought by Mr. Sandman, who loses to him. ** In addition, Little Mac has 13 hearts of stamina in both fights. ** Mr. Sandman's introduction slideshow in Contender, being the only one in the entire game to exceed four frames, has 13 frames (with the first 12 showing Sandman defeating all the boxers Little Mac previously fought). ** When Mr. Sandman gets tired after the dreaded Berserker Rage in Title Defense, Little Mac only needs to punch him 13 more times to defeat him (although obviously less punches are required if stars are used). ** His height is 6' 5''. The similarly-written number 6.5 is half of 13. ** Finally, he is 31 years old and had 31 previous fights in his career; by switching the digits of this number in either case, the result is the number 13. * Intriguingly, in all of his 2D appearances, he has had the same body type as Bald Bull. * Mr. Sandman, along with Bald Bull and Super Macho Man, have been featured as an opponent in more Punch-Out!! games than any other character. His only absence is the arcade version of Super Punch-Out!!. *In Super Punch-Out!!, his appearance makes it look like he is wearing red eye-liner above his eyes. *The instruction booklet of the Super NES version of Super Punch-Out!! inaccurately lists Mr. Sandman as being from New York City. *In the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, if you lose your title against Mr. Sandman in Title Defense (not Exhibition mode), his cutscene before the match will be the same one that you saw in Contender (to be more clear upon this, he walks slowly toward Little Mac with thundering footsteps, just like in Contender). * Mr. Sandman's behavior, particularly in the Wii version of Punch-Out!!, is based on another character also named Mr. Sandman, who would spread his magical sand on children to bring them good dreams. In this case, Mr. Sandman in Punch-Out would throw punches (spread his sand) to send his opponents (the children) to their eventual defeat (good dreams), and he even literally made Super Macho Man enter his slumber. * Many players have jokingly stated that Mr. Sandman is affiliated with Dreamland due to his signature move being called Dreamland Express, thus leads to a rumor that his favorite game is Kirby's Dream Land ''on the Game Boy. * Mr. Sandman's contender mode appearance has many similarities to Muhammad Ali. In Title Defense mode, he has more in common with Mike Tyson (the addition of the wink-uppercut attacks lends to the allusion). * In addition to the above, Mr. Sandman's boxing record bares similarity to Muhammad Ali's. Both being undefeated at 31-0 before meeting their first loss to become 31-1. * In contender mode, Doc Louis seems to be scared of Mr. Sandman, despite sharing the same voice actor, Riley Inge. * You can gain stars on him in the third round with the correct strategy, but the time window is so short that it is impossible on many emulators. * Mr. Sandman is the one of two boxers to have only one loss, the other being Super Macho Man.Little Mac * Mr. Sandman and Soda Popinski are the only two World Circuit boxers not to attack the referee, although Mr. Sandman will lift the referee up along with his fist should he win in Title Defense. * In ''Super Punch Out!!, ''Mr. Sandman is the only boxer who cannot be defeated by a K.O., even with ''Game Genie codes. Category:Characters Category:Punch-Out!! arcade characters Category:Punch-Out!! console characters Category:Punch-Out!! featuring Mr. Dream characters Category:Super Punch-Out!! console characters Category:Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! characters Category:mayor circuit Category:Major Characters